Glasgow artist makes his mark on new city centre hotel’s walls
THERE’S a party going on in a room in the new Radisson Red hotel in Glasgow. In fact, there’s a party going on in every room in the hotel. Quite a feat as it hasn’t even officially opened yet.
But there’s no reason to worry about the noise. Because the party is not happening inside the hotel walls. It’s happening on the walls.
When the first purpose-built Radisson Red hotel in Europe opens at Finnieston Quay in April each of the 174 rooms will have wallpaper designed by legendary Glasgow comic artist Frank Quitely.
Mr Quitely – real name Vincent Deighan – the Glasgow artist best known for his work on Superman, Batman and the X-Men comics, has been commissioned to provide art for the hotel’s rooms and public spaces.
“I think most people’s perception of hotels is they buy in the worst kind of art they can find from some hotel art factory,” Mr Quitely said.
But he keen to get involved because the brief for Radisson Red offered him the chance to do something in his own distinctive style. “There’s a general party atmosphere with a little bit of humour,” he said of the result.
“Art is very much part of the DNA of the hotel brand,” Donald Stewart, managing director of Forrest Developments and director of Forrest Hotels, the company behind Glasgow’s Radisson Red.
“So, having some bespoke art that reflects Glasgow’s culture, and finding the right artist to communicate that to people, was very important to us.”
Last year Mr Quitely’s work featured in a major exhibition at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.